Sara kicks the downed thing and hurts her foot. Swearing, she moves by Melodie and watches.
Maria was starting to regret not grabbing a more versatile weapon earlier. Since her blade wasn't doing much, she shifted her grip on the sheath and ducked down, aiming to hook it around the suit's knee to try and pull it down.
Melodie reloads, the movements coming surprisingly easily and takes aim again, although the melee makes a clean shot hard to come by.
Zhi fails to find a good opening, her staff bashing harmlessly against a grease. Melodie's bolt sticks into a gap in the phantom armor, though it's unclear whether it has hurt the thing or not. Maria tries to trip the undead, but it remains in its feet.
The monster punches Zhi twice more, battering the Tian woman. Malphene brings her sword down once more, this time scoring a critical hit! She slices the rusted breastplate clean in half, and the armor collapses in a heap on the floor. "Ha! That's more like it! Just had to get a feel for the balance of the blade," she says, pleased with herself.
Damn! Do I really have to do this?
Holding her side and wincing, Zhi looks over at Malphene.
Father said that skill must be respected. Maybe she was just lucky.
The small woman shakes her head and approaches the noble.
"You fought with skill and honor. My treatment of you before was uncalled for. I apologize. I also offer my condolences for the loss of your father.
She then, despite the obvious pain of the act, bows low.
--
After attempting to apologize to Dame Trant, Zhi turns to Sara.
"In the future, can you try to rein in your immediate impulses? There may have been a way for us to disable those things before they attacked," she says.
"Can anyone detect enchantments?" she asks of the group, although she appears to be looking at Zileska and Melodie. "Some of these things look pretty valuable and may be enspelled. We might need the extra help."
She looks around at the room in general.
"I'm pretty sure we're under the senate building, so even if we find the way up, we may end up facing armed opposition."
"Well the axe is definitely magical..." Melodie trails off, having no idea how to describe the weapon beyond the obvious. "The shield is magical too. I think it must be enchanted to "
Clutching her new acquired crossbow Melodie joins the group around the fallen suit of armor and offers Malphene a smile.
"That was really impressive Lady Trant, where did you learn to fight like that? My mother tried to have me taught but I just dropped the blade whenever I tried to hit something - you must have great skill!
Clutching her new acquired crossbow Melodie joins the group around the fallen suit of armor and offers Malphene a smile.
"That was really impressive Lady Trant, where did you learn to fight like that? My mother tried to have me taught but I just dropped the blade whenever I tried to hit something - you must have great skill!
"You fought with skill and honor. My treatment of you before was uncalled for. I apologize. I also offer my condolences for the loss of your father.
She then, despite the obvious pain of the act, bows low.
"Yes," she lies, "there is no doubt that your father would be very proud of you. It was a 'nice shot,' and all that." She smiles and claps Trant on the back.
After attempting to apologize to Dame Trant, Zhi turns to Sara.
"In the future, can you try to rein in your immediate impulses? There may have been a way for us to disable those things before they attacked," she says.
Sara pushes her lips together and blows. "I'm sorry, Zhi, but both you and Maria are claiming that this was obvious and if I had stopped to think about my actions, I could have 'foreseen' this future. Quite frankly, I think that's a lie; how could I have expected giant rusted armor to come limping towards me and punching me in the chest?"
Sara pushes her lips together and blows. "I'm sorry, Zhi, but both you and Maria are claiming that this was obvious and if I had stopped to think about my actions, I could have 'foreseen' this future. Quite frankly, I think that's a lie; how could I have expected giant rusted armor to come limping towards me and punching me in the chest?"
"You're telling me that there's no way you could have foreseen that someone could have put in place a magical or mechanical trap or alarm to protect things they considered valuable enough to put behind glass cases?"
"If I'm supposed to believe that you're that ignorant then consider that ignorance addressed; People do that, expect it, prepare for it."
She shakes her head and turns to walk away, but turns back.
"And you're not the only one that got punched in the chest because of it."
"You're telling me that there's no way you could have foreseen that someone could have put in place a magical or mechanical trap or alarm to protect things they considered valuable enough to put behind glass cases?"
"Yeah, hundreds of years ago; don't these spells go bad or something?"
"If I'm supposed to believe that you're that ignorant then consider that ignorance addressed; People do that, expect it, prepare for it."
She shakes her head and turns to walk away, but turns back.
"And you're not the only one that got punched in the chest because of it."
"Hey, I've stolen loads of people and things from tombs and behind glass cases and I have never had it go like this before. I'm not an idiot, Zhi. I guess I've just been, I don't know, lucky."
Frustrated and upset, she starts poking around with the alchemical equipment. "What is this s%#$?" she asks no one in particular.
Malphene merely grunts at Zhi's apology, but she cracks a slight smile at Melodie and Sara's encouragement. "Thank you. My father taught me to fend for myself and not to let anybody push me around." Her smile fades just as quickly as it appeared as she sniffles softly.
Malphene merely grunts at Zhi's apology, but she cracks a slight smile at Melodie and Sara's encouragement. "Thank you. My father taught me to fend for myself and not to let anybody push me around." Her smile fades just as quickly as it appeared as she sniffles softly.
"As did mine," Zhi responds, her voice neutral.
And she didn't even accept my apology!
Although, it wasn't really that sincere so ...
---
"Maria, you can use an axe, can't you? This one might work better then what you've got," Zhi says, indicating the enchanted handaxe.
"I know swords aren't your thing, Sara, but you can use a shield, right?"
"Very well done Malphene, I see we were lucky you didn't injure us more severely during our little altercation earlier." Maria was being sincere as she sheathed her blade, regardless of what else she might think of Malphene she could still respect her skill.
Sara and Zhi's altercation drew her attention as well.
"What Zhi is referring to at seeing traps was, well, why else would so many circles be scratched into the cases' glass or drawn on the walls? They don't seem to be decorative, but they're too uniform to be from age. Most likely explanation after that is that they're a trigger for a trap. As for how long a magical trap can last, given that ruins built by the Thassilonians over ten thousand years ago still have active magical traps from the days of their construction, I think it safe to say that such measures do not necessarily have an expiry date. At least give Zhi or myself a chance to check for traps first."
At the offer of an axe, Maria shook her head. "Afraid not, sorry. Short swords, clubs, maces, etcetera, but not axes."
"I know swords aren't your thing, Sara, but you can use a shield, right?"
"I'm sure I'll find a use for it, thank you."
Sara and Zhi's altercation drew her attention as well.
"What Zhi is referring to at seeing traps was, well, why else would so many circles be scratched into the cases' glass or drawn on the walls? They don't seem to be decorative, but they're too uniform to be from age. Most likely explanation after that is that they're a trigger for a trap. ..."
"No, Maria, I don't buy that. If these circles indicate traps, where were the traps in the dining room? Zhi looted that room and I dismantled the table right on top those circles, and no chairs stood up to attack us. My future firstborn was not pledged and promised to a demon. This is just, this is, it's ridiculous. I'll gladly take a step back in the future, but I don't see how this was obvious in any way."
"Ok, fine, you didn't see it as obvious. Let's take it as life lesson and move on," Zhi says calmly with a glance at her left arm.
"We have some healing, don't we?" she says looking at the others. "Can we use some, please?"
--
Once the healing is completed, Zhi checks the north door for traps and then opens it.
Zhi does not find any traps on the door.
This rectangular room appears to host a celebration frozen in time. Gaudy nobles crowd the corners of this room, all of which are dressed in ostentatious and pretentious fashions. Tremendous wigs soar toward the ceiling, each covered in thick layers of dust. A larger gaggle fills the center of the chamber, each aristocrat presenting a jovial or mocking leer as it stares out blankly. One of the figures is sprawled on the floor; overlapping circles cut into its waxen chest and face.
"I can use those scrolls," says Zileska. "Here... allow me."
She quickly coils her whip and stows it, then takes the scrolls. She unrolls one and sibilantly chants out its magical words, then touches a finger to Sara.
As the scroll is consumed, she lets it flutter away, then unrolls the other and repeats the process for Zhi.
Dusting off her hands, Zileska resumes the procession into the next chamber.
Scrutinizing the figures, Zileska says, "More of those concentric circles... almost like it's some kind of bladed weapon that leaves a circular mark."
"What the hells ... ?" Zhi says, looking over the macabre display.
"That is just ... creepy."
She turns to Zileska.
"Are there any enchantments here," she says quietly, holding her rapier ready as if expecting the figures to animate immediately.
One of the smaller wigs radiates a faint magical aura of illusion. There are no other auras in the room.
That wig over there is magical." Melodie points, by this time completely unsurprised at her own ability to detect magic so easily. This evening has proved quite the learning experience for the young noblewoman.
"Zhi, can I look at the things from earlier?"
Apparently her success with the shield however was a fluke, as both the axe and dagger completely foil her attempts to ascertain their purpose.
Maria looked over the room and the volume of circles cut into things.
"I'm starting to think I owe you an apology regarding the circles, Sara. I'd forgotten they were back in the dining room and this does not look to be an attempt at orderly trap-setting. Whatever you triggered with the display case may not have been connected to these circles after all. I am concerned about how ubiquitous they are down here, though."
Maria examined the ones cut into the wax figures. "It may not have been a weapon - these were painted on the walls of the display case room. I'm starting to think this was the result of some sort of obsessive compulsion, and probably long after these halls had fallen into disuse - I can't see rooms like this under the senate being allowed to be defaced so thoroughly if they were in active use."
The circles in the wax figure don't appear to have any significance. The figures wear a haphazard variety of fashions from various points in the empire's history. Several of the pieces of jewelry and smaller articles of clothing could be valuable.
Overcoming her uneasiness at the motionless figures surrounding them, Zhi looks over the scattered pieces of jewelry.
She also spends a moment looking over the wig that Melodie had indicated.
Father said you just have to look at it in a different way.
Her forehead wrinkles up as she concentrates harder.
Give it up, Zhi, it just looks like a damn wig!
She shakes her head in annoyance.
"If it's magical, it's probably worth something; We should take it."
With that, she moves towards the western door to check for traps.
Zhi identifies some of the valuable loot here, though there may be more. She does not find traps on the door.
Intricate banners hang motionless against a wooden pillar in the center of this room. Wooden racks line the south and west walls, each bearing up a unique banner of its own. Two additional banner racks lie on the floor in the northeastern corner of the room, their flags pulled away and inked with dozens of circles. Two doors exit this room, one to the east and the other to the north.
Sara scoffs at the apology. "Damn right," is all she mutters as she looks around the room for valuables, absentmindedly tracing her finger along some of the circles.
Upon hearing about the magic wig, she curls her lip in disgust. "Why would you ever wanna wear someone else's wig, magic or no? What if it has lice? I'm not going to shave my head for magic, no thank you."
"If it's been down here as long as some of this other stuff, then I don't think you need to worry about lice," Zhi responds absentmindedly as she looks through the doorway into the banner room.
"Wow, someone down here really has a thing about circles."
She moves north to check the other door. She considers checking it for traps as well but after a moment of consideration, just opens the door.
Sara is able to find the rest of the valuables that Zhi missed. Altogether, they are worth 450 gp.
"When your real hair looks as gorgeous as mine, you don't need silly things like wigs," Malphene says with a shake of her coiffed updo.
The door opens onto a long hallway. Several large doors line the hall as far as Zhi can see. A large, metal door to the north is covered with chalk circles and mathematical notes.
While collecting the valuables, Sara gingerly lifts the wig with her table leg, not wanting to miss the money to be gained in selling a magic item. She smirks at Malphene's comment and stares at the stick in her hand, watching it for any lice.
Although intrigued by the circles, Zhi moves to the door to the east and opens it as well.
Sara doesn't see any lice, but as she stares at the wig, she sees something moving slightly inside of it. Clumps of hair shift almost imperceptibly, as if the locks were moving in a nonexistent wind.
Zhi opens the eastern door. Lines of shelves run from north to south in this square room. Glass windows—some with handles and others bearing locks—cover the front of the shelves. Dozens of objects line the shelves, resting on satin pillows behind the protective glass covers. A door exits from each of the four walls.
Oh my.
Zhi quietly shuts the door and turning around leans against it.
This isn't going to help us get out of here any faster.
"Melodie, could you come over here and check the room behind me for any magical auras? she asks calmly.
This could really make it all worthwhile, though.
Sara screams, high pitched and sudden, and flings the wig off of her stick, stomping and swearing, before whacking it with her club.
"It moved! It moved!" She continues beating the thing until it stops moving.
The wig flattens under Sara's club. A large clump of hair detaches itself from the inside of the wig, the strands weaving together into pseudopods as it quickly drags itself across the floor, scurrying for safety!
Sara continues screaming, slamming her bat into the mass and tangle of hair again and again.
The animate hair crumples under the heavy blow but keeps crawling forward. "Ew! Ew!" Malphene screams. She skewers the hair on the end of her long sword. It twitches for a few moments before falling still.
"So gross! Are you okay, Sara?" the noblewoman asks with concern.
"Soooo... was that a spider or something wearing a hat of disguise to look like a wig?"
As Maria looked over more of the circles, she jumped at the chaos Sara was causing. "Nice stab there Malphene. Well, now that that bit of excitement is finished, is the wig's magic still useable?"
Sara pulls her back straight and shakes herself before smiling and gawking at Malphene. "Is that concern I hear in your voice, Malphene? Are we bonding over our mutual fear of bad hair days?" She chuckles once or twice.
She lifts the wig up with her table leg and tosses it towards Maria.
"Here, Maria: the wig. Why don't you find out?
Catching the wig, Maria figured it would be easier to check for any more parasites before actually testing its magic by giving it a solid shake. That this would also clear out any dust would be a bonus, but she still took the time to cover her mouth and nose beforehand lest she start coughing and spluttering from the dust.
Zileska peers at the corpse of the hair thing. It still looks like a large clump of hair.
By disguising itself as a wig, animate hair is able to subtly influence the creature that wears it. At first, the hair merely makes its host more vain, but when the opportunity presents itself, the animate hair compels its host to murder.
Malphene bristles a bit. "What? No, we're not bonding. I'm just looking out for myself. You are a competent fighter, and we are more likely to survive if your head isn't eaten by a rabid hair-monster!" She crosses her arms and turns away, but not before Sara catches the hint of a smile on her lips.
Maria gives the wig a good shake, but no other parasites are dislodged. The magic is still intact.
With the excitement over, Melodie scans the other room for magic auras. There is one--a faint aura of transmutation magic coming from a silver raven figurine in one of the glass cases.
Sara smirks, eyeing the young noble up and down. "Same to you, dollface. Thanks again for that help back there."
"Zileska, it is, uh, was, just, like, undead hair. Kind of."
Malphene looks back over her shoulder. "Yes, well. You're welcome." She quirks an eyebrow as Sara gives her the once-over.
"Are you done stomping on the giant-lice infested wig?" Zhi says with a smirk.
She zeros in on the display case containing the silver raven figurine.
Zhi discovers a magical trap that covers the entirety of this chamber. Any creature attempting to open the glass cases without disabling the trap will trigger it. Once triggered, the trap will send waves of electricity throughout the floor of the chamber.
"Oh, now aren't you clever," Zhi says, noting the extensive trap.
"But I think I'm cleverer," she says with satisfaction.
Zhi easily disables the trap. In addition to the magic raven figurine, the chamber houses numerous antiquities, most claimed from lands conquered or visited by the Armies of Exploration—orc scarificators, Kellid war drums, a ceremonial Brevan scabbard—all broken and faded from time. The items stored include dwarven mining equipment, a stone-and-gem chunk from an elven aiudara gateway, the bone totem of an Isgeri shaman, and even an inert technological gadget from distant Numeria. All told, the cultural trophies weigh 10 pounds and are worth 500 gp.
"If we can manage to get out of here intact, this little side trip should prove reasonably profitable for all of us," Zhi says as she gathers up the trophies she deems worth reselling.
She then moves to the eastern door to check it for traps.
If she finds no traps, she opens it.
Zhi does not find any traps on the door. A fearsome winged beast with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion poses ferociously in the southeastern corner of this square room. Two wolves stand in similar poses in the northern corners, while an immense coiled serpent poises itself in the southwestern corner, ready to strike.
A moment's inspection reveals all of these beasts to be taxidermied. A small elephant stands in the center of the room, its head drooping far too low, and the top of its neck torn open. Thick cords of rope hoist avian creatures of every size along the ceiling, with an impressive eagle taking up the most space above. Doors exit to the north and west.
Following behind, Sara points her finger into her mouth, feigning a gag as she sees the taxidermy. "Tasteless."
"As if the wax figures weren't creepy enough," Zhi says, looking into the room. "I'll pass."
She then moves toward the northern door.
"So then the question is this way or that way," she adds, indicating east and west in the long hallway.
"I vote that way," she says, pointing towards the door with the circles drawn on it.